Kingston upon Thames 11 plus guide

How to apply to Kingston grammar schools

1. Register for the 11 plus test

Before you register you should speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.

You need to register directly with the school by completing the Supplementary Information Form (SIF). This is available on the school websites between 5th June 2023 and 4th September 2023.

• Register here for Tiffin School

• Register here for Tiffin Girls' School

The schools encourage you to register as early as possible and submit any supplementary paperwork requested of you at that stage. Registrations after the deadline will not be considered.

After you register, you'll get an email in September with information about your child's Stage One test day arrangements.

If you are considering grammar schools outside Kingston, remember to register for their 11 plus exams too.

2. Stage One test

Your child will take the Stage One test on 5th October 2023. You will find out in mid-October whether your child has been invited to take the Stage Two test, which takes place between the 9th and 11th November 2023.

3. Apply for school places

Once you have the results of your child's Stage One Test (and any other 11 plus exams outside Kingston), you can decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.

Before listing a school on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible:

• Ensure you are in the catchment area.

• Children who are not invited to take the Stage Two test are not eligible for a place, so in these cases, you should not include Tiffin Schools on your application form.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.

4. Stage Two test

Shortlisted children take the Stage Two test between 9th and 11th November 2023. An invitation to take the Stage Two test is not a guarantee of an offer of a school place (see scoring information below).

5. National school offer day

On 1st March 2024, you will find out which school your child has been allocated a place at. They will be allocated a place at your highest-preferred school for which they meet the entry criteria and which has places available.

If no places are available at your preferred schools, they will be offered a place at another school in your area. You can appeal the decision via the schools ([email protected] or [email protected]). Appeals are decided by an independent panel, Surrey Schools Appeals Service.

What's on the Tiffin 11 plus test?

Stage One

Tiffin School and Tiffin Girls' School's Stage One test is provided by GL Assessment. It consists of two papers, each lasting about 60 minutes:

• English

• Maths

The test is entirely multiple-choice format, with no writing sections. Children record their answers in a separate answer booklet which is marked by a computer.

The questions assess your child's understanding of Key Stage 2 national curriculum content, including Year 6 objectives that they will not yet have covered at primary school. The schools don't expect children to have covered this content yet, but the exam tests their ability to reason and apply their knowledge accurately in these unfamiliar formats.

Learn about 11+ topics in depth

Stage Two

The Stage Two tests are created by the schools themselves and consist of written papers in English and maths. The schools do not publish any practice papers or provide much information about them.

These tests are designed to identify children who enjoy and are confident reading, writing, thinking creatively, working with numbers, and problem-solving.

How is the Kingston 11 plus test scored?

After the Stage One Tests, each paper is marked to provide 'raw' scores. The raw scores are combined and standardised to even out any age disadvantage for children born later in the year.

The highest-scoring children are invited back to the Stage Two test. The number of children to invite back is calculated based on the planned admission number (PAN). Each school has a PAN of 180 for Year 7 in September 2024.

After Stage Two, the scores are again standardised. A total weighted score is calculated for each child, consisting of a percentage from the Stage One maths exam, the Stage Two maths exam and the Stage 2 English exam. The weighting varies slightly for each school.

Applicants are ranked in order of their total weighted scores and within their relevant category of selection criteria. A 10% leeway is applied to the test marks of disadvantaged children. The schools choose applicants from the top ranking scores.

Out of around 1,500 children who apply, around 450 applicants are invited back for the Stage Two test, and only 180 places are offered at each school.

What's the pass mark for the Tiffin 11 plus?

Pass marks for the current year cannot be calculated until the tests have been marked and the standardised scores calculated and ranked. This is because the pass marks depend on the size and performance of the year group. Scores from recent years can be used as a general guide only.

The lowest scores that went on to be offered a place in 2022 were:

• Tiffin School: 103

• Tiffin Girls' School: 107

Achieving a specific score doesn't guarantee a place at the school of your choice, as schools in Kingston are oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.

For example, the schools may be more likely to admit a lower-scoring pupil who meets their priority criteria than a higher-scoring child who does not. Children will be prioritised if they:

• Have a sibling at the school

• Are the child of a staff member

• Receive Pupil Premium

• Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

• Are currently, or were previously, a Looked After Child

• Live within the Designated Area